Lots of people have hobbies. Some people collect old coins or foreign stamps; some do needlework; others spend most of their spare time on a particular sport.
A lot of people enjoy reading. But reading tastes differ widely. Some people only read newspapers or comics, some like reading novels, while others prefer books on astronomy, wildlife, or technological discoveries.
If I happen to be interested in horses or precious stones, I cannot expect everyone else to share my enthusiasm. If I watch all the sports programs on TV with great pleasure, I must put up with the fact that other people find sports boring.
Is there nothing that interests us all? Is there nothing that concerns everyone—no matter who they are or where they live in the world? Yes, dear Sophie, there are questions that certainly should interest everyone. They are precisely the questions this course is about.
What is the most important thing in life? If we ask someone living on the edge of starvation, the answer is food. If we ask someone dying of cold, the answer is warmth. If we put the same question to someone who feels lonely and isolated, the answer will probably be the company of other people.
But when these basic needs have been satisfied—will there still be something that everybody needs? Philosophers think so. They believe that man cannot live by bread alone. Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and care. But there is something else—apart from that—which everyone needs, and that is to figure out who we are and why we are here.
Being interested in why we are here is not a “casual” interest like collecting stamps. People who ask such questions are taking part in a debate that has gone on as long as man has lived on this planet. How the universe, the earth, and life came into being is a bigger and more important question than who won the most gold medals in the last Olympics.This text is most probably taken from ________.
A.a research paper | B.a course schedule |
C.a personal letter | D.a book review |
Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
A.Philosophical questions are as interesting as collecting stamps. |
B.Thinking about philosophical questions is a serious interest. |
C.Figuring out who we are and why we are here is man's basic needs. |
D.Philosophy has universal appeal and concerns everybody in nature. |
The author believes that ________.
A.no existing subject can interest everyone in the world |
B.different people may have different interests and concerns |
C.everyone has to figure out who we are and why we are here |
D.people in modern society pay more attention to philosophical questions |
While applying to college may seem easy, getting in can be tough! When you apply for college, you will have to be honest with yourself and do a bit of research to find the right fit. Here are three steps to take when applying to colleges for the best chances at getting into the best college for you.
Step l: Making A List Of Colleges To Apply To
With over 6,000 colleges in the United States, the first step in applying to college is to do some research and make a college list . This process will be different for everyone. The number of colleges you apply to can vary, from applying to 1 school (not recommended) to 30 schools (not recommended),each applicant can choose how many colleges they apply to. Many limit the number because applications are accompanied by a fee. .
Step2: Splitting The List Into Target, Reach and Safety Schools
In general, students will want to apply to three types of schools: Target, Reach and Safety schools. It is up to you how many applications you send, but a good mix would be more target than reach, and at least one safety. You will need to take your list, and now decide which are your top picks, which are attainable for you academically, which are affordable for you only with aid, and refine your broad list into a group of schools that gives you the best chance for success. Talk to an admissions counselor at your high school if you have questions about this.
Step 3: Completing and Sending Applications to Colleges
Once your list is complete you are ready to apply to college by completing and sending in applications! College applications take time to complete —you have to write essays, ask for recommendations and get test scores sent to schools—so stay organized! All colleges will require these types of application materials, so start thinking about these items well before October or December. Once you complete and send them, then you have successfully applied to college.It can be learned from the first paragraph that_____________.
A.you should be cautious to pick up the right college |
B.you don't have to think twice before applying to college |
C.once you apply to a college, you'll be admitted to it easily |
D.each applicant should choose the best college for their ideal |
To make a list of colleges, you____________.
A.needn’t consider about your ability |
B.had better take your academy into account |
C.are supposed to choose merely one most fit |
D.are required to pick out more than 30 colleges |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A.One should clarify(澄清,阐明) the list according to one's abilities. |
B.Refer to admissions counselor at high school if necessary. |
C.One doesn't have to send his test scores to the intended college. |
D.Teachers' recommendations are included in application materials. |
We can conclude from the text that____________.
A.each applicant has the right to apply to any colleges for free |
B.the more college one chooses, the more successful he will be |
C.applicants should send required materials before the deadline |
D.safety schools are those that don't have so many requirements |
The text is mainly about____________.
A.how to succeed in life | B.how to apply to college |
C.how to ask for information | D.how to do a research in college |
While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realize the significance of their natural surroundings , many Australians are turning caring for the environment into a way of life.
Julie Astonis , an Australian housewife in Brisbane is one such example. Even though autumn is approaching Australia’s Brisbane in April, one can still watch colorful blooming (盛开的)flowers in Julie’s little garden. As she tells that in her community, “Each of us has a beautiful yard, The whole community, from children to elderly people, takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of their own garden.”
“Gardening is the most popular club in our community,” she says, “A lot of retired people don’t just regularly organize gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training , So you can see that flowers continue to bloom in our gardens throughout the year.”
Talking about her people’s sense of care for the environment, Julie says when people in the community take along their dog, they always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog’s waste . “In our community ,you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass,” says Julie with a smile. “Taking care of the dog’s waste can also help to develop children’s sense of responsibility!”
As to protecting water resources , the Australian government has made strict rules for families. Julie says, “We certainly would not use tap water to water the flowers!”She says almost every family in her community has a huge tank used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resource of all outdoor water use . They also connect the water tank with their toilets.From the first three paragraphs we learn that .
A.gardening is popular in most part of Australia |
B.April is a great time for people to enjoy flowers |
C.it’s not easy to keep a garden without proper training |
D.Julie’s community has a deep sense of caring for nature |
What do we know about Julie from this passage?
A.She takes pride in her community |
B.She once stepped on a dog’s waste |
C.She is quite in favor of raising a dog |
D.She finds it embarrassing to walk on the grass |
From what Julie says in the last paragraph, we know .
A.rainwater is not the best resource |
B.her community owns a public tank |
C.her community makes full use of resources |
D.it is not necessary to water flowers very often |
How many examples are given to show the caring for the environment in Australia?
A.Two | B.Three | C.Four | D.Five |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Love nature, the Australian way | B.How Australians save resources |
C.How Australians lead their life | D.Protect nature, a must of life |
Audrey Hepburn(奥黛丽·赫本)won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953,But she is remembered as much for her aid work as for her acting.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey’s father was British and her mother was Dutch. Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood . During World war Ⅱ , she lived and studied in the Netherlands .Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks . Audrey studied dance as a teenager and during college. But when she returned to London after the war she realized she wasn’t going to be a ballerina(芭蕾舞女演员). So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies.
But it was Audrey Hepburn’s move to America that brought her true fame .In 1951 she played the character“Gigi”in the Broadway play of the same name to great critical praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24.
Audrey make more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was Hoolly Golinghtly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. There years later she played Eliza Doolittle in my Fair Lady.
She was married two times and had one by each husband. In 1989,the UN Children’s Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF(联合国儿童基金会) projects .The UN agency said she was a tireless worker. She often gave 15 interviews a day to gain money and support for UNICEF projects.
Audrey Hepburn often said her loyalty to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War II. She said she knew what it was like to be starving and to be saved by international aid . She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from colon cancer.In Paragraph 1,“her aid work”means .
A.winning an Academy Award as Best Actress |
B.taking acting parts in stage shows |
C.making her own movies |
D.acting as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF |
The reason why Audrey lived and studied in the Netherlands was that .
A.she wanted to be a ballerina | B.her parents were from Britain |
C.it was safe there | D.the education there was excellent |
We can infer from the passage that .
A.Audrey’s parents lived in Germany during World War II |
B.Audrey lived in America in the 1950s |
C.Audrey was made to give up dancing |
D.the character“Gigi”in the Broadway play was her most popular role |
is NOT mentioned in the passage about Audrey Hepburn
A.Marriage | B.Identity | C.Contribution | D.Religion |
is the right order for Audrey’s life.
①The first time she began to play in movies
②She returned to London from the Netherlands
③She won an Academy Award as Best Actress
④She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects
⑤She played a part in My Fair Lady
A.②①③⑤④ | B.①②③⑤④ | C.②①⑤③④ | D.①②⑤③④ |
Linda Evans was my best friend –like the sister I never had ,We did everything together: piano lessons ,movies, swimming , horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away . Linda and I kept in touch through letters ,and we saw each other on special times — like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often .One day a card that I sent came back , stamped “Address Unknown”. I had no idea about how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren . And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died, There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day, I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman —Linda’s married name.“There must be thousands of Wagmans.”I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter, “Mrs , Tobin!”she said excitedly, “Linda Ev-ans Wagman is my mother.”
Minutes later I heard a voice that I recognized at once, even after 40 years . We laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure; We won’t lose each other again!The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans .
A.at the age of 13 | B.before she got married |
C.before the writer’s family moved away | D.after they moved to new homes |
They didn’t often write to each other because they .
A.got married | B.had little time to do so |
C.didn’t like writing letters | D.could see each other on special times |
There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she .
A.was in trouble |
B.didn’t know Linda’s address |
C.received the card that she sent |
D.didn’t have a friend like Linda |
The writer was happy when she .
A.read the newspaper |
B.heard Linda’s voice on the phone |
C.met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda |
D.wrote to the woman whose last name was Wangman |
They haven’t kept in touch .
A.for about 40 years | B.for about 27 years |
C.since they got married | D.since the writer’s family moved away |
Do you want to love what you do for a living? Follow your passion. This piece of advice provides the foundation for modern thinking on career satisfaction. But this can be a problem.
I've spent the past several years researching and writing about the different strategies we use to seek happiness in our work. It became clear early in the process that the suggestion to “follow your passion” was flawed (有缺陷), for it lacks scientific evidence. However, it doesn't mean you should abandon the goal of feeling passionate about your work. The reality emphasizes that things are quite complicated.
Passion is earned. Different people are looking for different things in their work, but generally, people with satisfying careers enjoy some combination of the following features: autonomy,respect, competence, creativity, and a sense of impact. In other words,if you want to feel passionate about your livelihood,don't seek the perfect job,but seek to get more of these features in the job you already have.
Passion is elusive (难捉摸的). Many people develop the rare and valuable skills leading to passion, but still end up unhappy in their work. The problem is that the features leading you to love your work are more likely to be useful to you than your organization. As you become increasingly “valuable”,for example, your boss might push you toward traditional promotions that come with more pay and more responsibility, as this is what is most useful to your company. However, you might find more passion by applying your value to gain autonomy in your schedule or project selection.
Passion is dangerous. I've watched too many of my peers fall into anxiety and chronic(慢性的) job-hopping (跳槽) due to the “follow your passion” advice. The issue is expectations. If you believe we all have a pre-existing passion, and that matching it to a job will lead to instant workplace happiness, reality will always pale in comparison.
Work is hard. Not every day is fun. If you're seeking a dream job, you'll end up frustrated, again and again. Don't set out to discover passion. Instead, set out to develop it. This path might be longer and more complicated than what most cheerful career guides might advocate, but it's a path much more likely to lead you somewhere worth going.People satisfied with their careers are _______.
A.autonomous and passionate | B.creative and passionate |
C.respectable and sensitive | D.creative and competent |
What is the author's advice on achieving career satisfaction?
A.Figuring out early what one will do in the future. |
B.Matching the pre-existing passion to one's work. |
C.Developing passion for what one is doing. |
D.Discovering skills that lead to interesting careers. |
The underlined sentence in Para. 5 probably means that _______.
A.it is not easy to match our passion with our jobs |
B.we shouldn't think everyone has a pre-existing passion |
C.workplace happiness does not require a pre-existing passion |
D.high expectations of passion in jobs bring disappointment |
What's the author's attitude towards the advice of “following your passion”?
A.Disapproving. | B.Supportive. | C.Cautious. | D.Unclear. |